Envelop.



1. H. WITTIVIANN.

ENVI-10P. APPLICATION FILED APR. 24. 1914.

Patmdl De@ 141, 1915.

'alti JOSEPH H. WITIMANN, OF NEW YUM it @pacification of Lettersatent.

l N. Y.

' ENVELOP.

Patented Dee.. It, fwfd.

Application filed April 2a, 19M.. erial No. @34,12%

To all whom it may concern.' v

Be it known that I, JOSEPH I-l. Wrr'r- MANN, a citizen of the United States, residing at New York city, in' the county of New York and State of New Yorln'have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Envelops; and I do declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to the letters and figures of reference marked thereon, which form a part of this specification.

My invention relates to envelops, an more particularly to what is commonly known as a return or round trip envelop, which is particularly adapted for use in sending out mail matter calling for a return, and wherein the return to the sender may be made in the identical envelop within which the original matter was delivered.

I am aware of the fact that there are envelops now in use wherein a sealing flap projects from each side of the mouth of the envelop, so that after one of the flaps has been cut and the original contents of the envelop removed, other matter may be placed in the envelop, the second Vflap used to reseal the same, and the envelop returned t0 the original sender, whose name may be printed on the second Hap ;'-the double flap envelop which I have just described being shown in my prior Patent No. 978,421.

It is the object of the present invention,

however, to provide a return or round trip envelop wherein the several flaps are located at the same side of the envelop mou/th, and which are so arranged as to obviate the probability of both flaps being cut or damaged when the envelop is irst opened. In accomplishing this object I have provided improved details of structure, the preferred forms of which are illustrated in the accompanying drawings, wherein l Figure I is a perspective view of an envelop constructed-according to my invention, showing the arrangement of the flaps when the envelop is first addressed. Fig. II is a sectional perspective of the same, showing the nesting of the return flap and the combination of the initial sealing and return flaps. lEig. III is a perspective view of the envelop after it has been opened by the first recipient, and showing the short flap attached to the envelop but severed from the return Hap. tive v1eW of the envelop as it appears when sealed by the return flap. Fig. V is a sectlonal perspectivey of the envelop, showing the parts in position indicated by Fig. IV.

Referring more in detail to the parts lelesignates an envelop comprising a body portion 2 of any suitable construction, and havmg one 'longitudinal edge 3 open to recelve a letter or other matter to be sent through the mail. The back ply 4: of the envelop is extended beyond the open edge thereof to form a flap 5, comprising a body or primary Hap portion 6, of slightly less width than the body of the envelop, and an extension or secondary flap of substantially less width than the body portion 6, so that when the extension is folded over the front ply of the envelop to seal the initially open edge (as will presently be described) it will not interfere with or obscure an address on the said front ply. rIhe inner face of the extension or secondary flap 7 has a gummed section 8 along its freeedge, whereby it may be sealed to the face of the envelop, and the body portion 6- has a gummed section 9 along the edge of the extension, so that when the said body portion is removed from the envelop it may be applied to the front ply of the envelop and sealed thereto when the gum has been moistened.

en the envelop is made ready for use, the body flap 6 is folded along its longitudinal center, so that it may nest in the mouth of the envelop and allow the exten- I'ig. IV is a perspecsion7 to project therefrom." With this ar- A rangement, the envelop may be addressed, the mail matter inserted, the gum on the short flap moistened, and 1Lhe short or secondary Hap sealed against the front ply of the envelop to seal the latter. When the envelop reaches the person to whom it is addressed, the latter unseals the envelop by slitting the Hap. along the free edge of the envelop, thereby severing the extension from the body portion of the flap. 'Ihe contents of the envelop may then be removed and if there is a return to be made to the original sender, the body flap may be drawn out ofthe envelop, the return matter inserted, and the body flap folded over the front ply of the envelop to cover the name of the original addressee and seal the envelop for its return trip. Itis apparent that with this construction, when the addressee cuts the flap to open the envelop, the body flap bearing the address for the return, is unmjured, and also that when the addressee removes the mail matter from the envelop his attention is called to tli'e contained body flap bearing the address of the original sender, so that when answering the letter he will not overlook the fact that the same envelop in which the letter was received may be used for his reply.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new therein, and desire to secure by Letters-Patent, is

1. An envelop comprising back and address plies, a flap projecting from the back ply at the open edge ot' the envelop and comprising separate gummed portions forming initial and return iap members, With the return iap member initially nested within the envelop.

2. An envelop comprising front and rear plies, and a flap projecting from one of said plies at the open edge of the envelop; the said ilap comprising separate gummed portions forming initial and -return flap members adapted for separate sealing to the opposite iap, and having separate opening folds at the edge of the envelop.

3. An envelop comprising front and rear plies,l and a iap projecting from one of said plies at the open edge of the envelop; the said flap comprising separate gummed portions forming initial and return flap members adapted for separate sealing to the opposite ply, one of the flap members being initially nested Within. the envelopV and folded at the edge` thereof to permit the other Hap member to seal the envelop without exposing the first Hap member.

4. An envelop having an opening at one edge, a Hap on one ply of the envelop comprising a wide inner portion and relatively narrow outer portion, with the inner portion originally nested within the envelop and both sections being provided with gummed edges whereby the envelop may be initially sealed by the outer'portion and expose an address on the Jface of the envelop, and whereby the inner flap portion may be withdrawn from the envelop and sealed over the original address. A

5. An envelop having an opening at one edge, al Hap on the rear ply of the envelop comprising an inner portion originally nested Within the envelop and having an mtegral outer portion of less width than said inner portion, both the inner and outer p0r- 'tions of the flaps having gummed edges and both being adapted for' sealing to the address aee of the envelop, whereby the addressed portion is exposed when the sealing is originally effected and concealed by the wider lap portion when the latter is utilized as the sealing member.

6. An envelop comprising front and back plies and a double sealing iap comprising integral body and' extension members, each having a gummed section at its outer edge, with the body portion folded longitudinally to lie within the envelop with its gummed edge along the open edge of the envelop, and with the extension flap projected from the envelop to initially seal the same; the body flap being of sutlicient width to cover an addressed portion of the frontlap when in sealing position, and the extension flap of substantially less width to expose the addressed portion when in sealing position.

7. An envelop comprising back and address plies, a flap projecting from the back ply at the open edge of the envelop and comprising a return flap member of suflicient width to cover an address on the address ply when in sealing position, and an 'initial iap portion at the free edge of the return member, of less width than the return member and arranged when in sealing position to expose an address on the address ply.

8. An envelop comprising back and address plies, a flap extending from the back ply at the open edge of the envelop and comprising a base return member and an initial sealing member at the free edge of the return member; the return member being initially nested within the envelop and of greater width than the initial sealing member, whereby an address is exposed when the envelop is sealed by the initial member and the severed .initial member and the address covered by the return member when the latter is in sealing position.

In testimony whereof I aiixV my signature in presence of two witnesses.

JOSEPH H. WITTMANN.

Witnesses:

MORRIS A. HALL, C. HEIN. 

